1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for fabricating alloys and, particularly, to a method and an apparatus for fabricating a magnesium-based alloy.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Nowadays, alloys have been developed for special applications. Among these alloys, the magnesium alloy has some good properties, such as good wear resistance, and high elastic modulus. However, the toughness and the strength of the magnesium alloy are not able to meet the increasing needs of the automotive and aerospace industries.
To address the above-described problems, magnesium-based alloys have been developed. In a magnesium-based alloy, nanoscale reinforcements (e.g. carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers) are added to the magnesium metal or alloy. The conventional methods for making the magnesium-based alloy are by thixo-molding and die-casting. However, in die-casting, the magnesium metal or magnesium alloy tend to be easily oxidized. In thixo-molding, the nanoscale reinforcements are added to melted metal or alloy, causing the nanoscale reinforcements to have tendency to aggregate. Therefore, the nanoscale reinforcements can't be uniformly dispersed therein.
What is needed, therefore, is to provide a method and an apparatus for fabricating a magnesium-based alloy, in which nanoscale reinforcements can be uniformly dispersed in the magnesium-based alloy, and the magnesium-based alloy has good toughness and high strength.